Improvement in coffins



' pieces of cast-iron.

NITED STATES PATENT CEFICE.

JAMES EIoEEY AND LAoHLAN E. MoDoUeALL, or oINoINiIA'rI, OHIO.

yllvlPRovElvlENT lN'coFFlNs.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 167,691, dated September 14, 1875; application filed August 13, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J AMES RICHEY and LAGHLAN H. MCDOUGALL, both of Cincinnati, Hamilton county, Ohio, have invented a new and useful Coffin, of which the following is a specification :v

Our invention relates to a new and useful improvement in those coffins and burial cases whose sides, ends, and bottom, being of wood, are formed with tongued or dovetail edges, which are driven tightly into and permanently7 occupy corresponding grooves in four metallic corner-pieces.

ln our improvement the tongued edges of the bottom also occupy horizontal grooves in the two wooden sides and in one of the wooden ends. of the body, the other wooden end having, instead of a groove, a rabbet or relish,

which permits the driving home of that end,

so as to lock the various members of the structure firmly and lpermanently together. Said kedges and grooves are, just before their junction, coated with white lead or other suitable luting, to insure permanent adhesion of the parts and complete exclusion of air.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of our burialcase body embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a section at` the line l l. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section to illustrate the mode of inserting the bottom in the process of constructing the body, the section being taken at the line 2 2. Fig. 4 is a fullsize vertical section of one'of the lower end corners of the case. Fig. 5 is'a perspective view of one of the cast corner-pieces.

A A' A" A"' represent four similar corner- Each corner-piece has, near the bottom of its innerwall, a horizontal groove, B, to receive the tongued edges c of the oetagonal plank or slab C of wood, which constitutes the coiiin-bottom. Each cornerpiece has two vertical dovetail groovesD D', of which the groove D receives the correspondingly-dovetailed dange, tongue, or pro- ]ection E from the board F or F', constituting either end of the coffin-body, while the other groove D receives4 a similar dovetail projection, G or G', of the wooden side H or H'. Horizontal grooves I I' I", near the bottom of the inner wall of the aforesaid 'end F andsides H H', and a rabbet, I"', at the bottom of the end F', receive the end and side edges of the bottom C. A plug or filling, J, completes the component members of our coffin-body. This plug may be fastened by wood-screws or otherwise.

The metallic corner-pieces and the wooden sides and ends or panels may have the represented or any desired external conguration.

Our coflin-body may be shipped or transported very compactly in its component pieces, and, when at its place of destination, may be easily and quickly put together.

For this purpose one end, F, is driven into its appropriate grooves D D ofl two of the corner-pieces A A', whose remaining grooves D' D' then receive the dovetailed extremities G Gr of the two side-boards H H'. The wooden slab C, which constitutes the coffin-bottom, is then inserted by being driven endwise into the the groove I I' I". The remaining corner-pieces A" A"' are now driveninto the dovetails G' of the side-boards, which, being sprung momentarily out at that end, permit the complete driving of the said corner-pieces, and the sides being then allowed to spring inward, or being pressed together, if necessary, the remaining end F' is inserted and driven home, locking the whole structure firmly and permanently together.

In order to enable the end F' to be driven completely down, a rabbet, I"',.takes the place of the horizontal grooves I I' I", and finally a wooden plug or filling, J, is inserted and secured by screws or glue, to close the small rectangular cavity, which remains on the under side of the coffin. The plug J may, however, be omitted, or that end of the bottom may be left of its full thickness.

It is to be understood that before being thus brought together the joining surfaces are well coated with white lead, or other suitable cement or luting. rlhe corner-pieces being all cast from one pattern, (or, at most, two patterns, where a smaller size is employed for the foot end,) and the wooden portions got out by suitable machinery, which requires no specific descrip* tion, no selection or previous fitting is required; but the proper pieces may be taken at random from a pile, and at `once put to-` gether.

It is also apparent that the materials of one or any number of coflins may be shipped in the lmoek-dovvn"7 condition in exceedingly compact packages, with great economy of transportation.

We are aware that metallic grooved cornerpieces for composite coftins have been proposed, and such, therefore, We do not broadly i claim.`

We claim as a newarticle of manufacture- V1. The coftln-body, consisting ofthe metallic corner-pieces A A A" A, each having the dovetail grooves D D. in its vertical edges for y theend and side boards F F HH', said side- .board and oneendboard havin gthe horizontal v grooves B I ll I",and the other end-board the rabbet lf, for the tongned edges of the bottom-board, substantially as set forth.

` 2. In combination with thecomposite coffin or burial-case body, as described, the described plug or filling-piece J.

. InV testimony of A which invention we hereunto set our hands.

JAS. RICHEY. LAGHLAN` H. `McDOUGrALL:

Attest:

JAMES H. LAYMAN,

J oHN C. HEALY. 

